Christians should promote values, not issues

Friday

Aug 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Editor, the Record:

Editor, the Record:

Bravo for Charles Haynes' well-crafted Aug. 10 column. He described in authoritative detail what I have argued for years. It appalls me how the religious right and other right-wing groups see themselves as the poster children for "Christian values," when their rhetoric seems to be limited to supporting the values of the military-industrial complex, homosexuality and abortion.

My perennial question has been, "What ever happened to the Sermon on the Mount?"

This is where we find basic Christian teaching. "Blessed are the peacemakers"; "Love your enemies"; "Do unto others"; "Forgive, forgive, forgive," etc. What would political policies look like based upon Christ's teachings? I don't know, but these are the questions Christians should be raising, instead of fussing about the 10 Commandments, prayer in schools, and other waste-of-time issues. Our children are dying in wars caused by greed and waste-of-time politics.

I'm glad our forefathers gave us the Constitution they did. As Mr. Haynes argued so well, we are not a Christian nation, nor should we be, but that should not preclude us Christians from promoting authentic Christian values instead of flashpoint issues that can never be resolved.

THE REV. ROBERT P. MITCHELL

Pastor, Pleasant Valley Presbyterian Church

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